Treasury Tuesday, Male and Female

Yes, I will no longer be accepting entries to my giveaway! The winner has, in fact, been chosen, and will be announced tomorrow :)

The first treasury for this week is a lovely green one. It reminded me of all the things growing outside. It has a great mix of vintage and handmade items as well.

'green ceramic' by yury4465

enjoy!

TWO diaper bag scen... mommmyerica $5.00	BLUEBIRD LOVE no.11... ORphotography $25.00	Key Lime... 1 pom PomLove $4.50	Irish Spring - vint... noblegnome $25.00
Vintage panda bear ... BarkingBirds $12.00	Spring Bunny Card beauideal $6.00	Ceramic Owl Bank Vi... fruitflypie $39.99	Lime Green and Pink... KimArt $1.79
ACEO Snowbuddy scarableu $8.00	Peach Moonstone and... piehat $20.00	Fluffy PoisonPaws $35.00	shapes necklace hex... cristinapires $25.00
Spices & Chipped Po... sthorntonart $135.00	Anticipation - Fine... SarahMoldovan $30.00	Seahorse Brooch earthlycreatur... $39.00	Upcycled Market Bag NstarStudio $40.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Here's one I was featured in, created by Sintwister, my last Friday feature. Again, I liked the variety of items available here.

'Surfer Bride & Groom' by sintwister

vintage 1970s COCOR... Luncheonettevi... $30.00	Sand and Sea Fine A... HeatherRaesCre... $25.00	SEAGULL Art - Water... eastwitching $35.00	Lifeguard Tower - 8... elgarboart $30.00
Santa Cruise- volks... dannyphillipsa... $10.00	Vintage retro Yves ... RetroEyewear $80.00	Bonfire Driftwood C... WoodenAle $15.00	Feathers 2 White go... CicaleTdesigns $32.00
Green Sea Pottery S... LargoBlue $4.50	Vintage Unisex Boar... inzoopsia $24.00	made to order The E... CreoleSha $110.00	Shabby 70s Big Ol M... thewildstrawbe... $28.00
Vintage 1970s Bora ... VeriteVintage $32.00	Bride and Groom Box... fionadesigns $20.00	The Embrace Driftwo... jauntinggypsy $18.00	message in a bottle... MiniatureRhino $18.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

I loved the title of this one! I do think it did indeed capture the female intellect well too.

'female intellect' by ORphotography

I Love My Boots - h... janeheller $30.00	PENDANT sterling ci... quenchmetalwor... $45.00	Ivory vintage flowe... BeSomethingNew $28.00	Spring Lace Crochet... annerstreet $36.00
There are places I ... Raceytay $15.00	Vintage Trio of Sha... LeeLeesCloset $26.00	Vintage Black Ruffl... zwzzy $65.00	Two Bottles - Food ... AmeliaKayPhoto... $60.00
9 flowers embroider... gretchenmist $35.00	Vintage Glass Jars ... littleshopofph... $9.00	Graduation Sale 20%... wearableartbyj... $30.40	Blue Bird Lovers Pe... ThePolkadotMag... $39.00
1960's cocoa bo... Thrush $68.00	Nuno Felted Bag wit... frenchfelt $62.00	Handmade Gift Tags,... LBCpaper $15.95	Original Black Leat... bonnbonn $37.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

I made this more masculine one in answer to Etsy's call for more unisex and man-centric treasuries. I hope you like it!

'A little bit of this, a little bit of that' by HeatherRaesCreations

chesterfiled sofa p... namedesignstud... $3000.00	Vintage Wood Toggle... cattales $5.00	shapes necklace cristinapires $25.00	vintage 1960s PORRI... Luncheonettevi... $24.00
Mexican Piggy Bank ... fruitflypie $34.00	vintage midcentury ... compostthis $26.00	SPRING into LIGHT M... planepieces $119.00	Retro - Modern cube 3dots $25.00
Rascal PoisonPaws $40.00	Wooden Walnut Clock offcutstudio $55.00	CRAYON TRAIN, a bri... ORphotography $30.00	Pebble Leather Moth... SmitherineDesi... $29.00
Kart Chair HarBenger2 $350.00	MOUNTAIN VIEW smoky... nativevermont $225.00	Rare Green Descowar... bitofbutter $45.00	Blades of Grass - m... rudeNsweet $22.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

On not giving up... and other stuff. (SNS)

Hello friends!

Wow, this week has actually gone by rather quickly! It's been filled with highs and lows and lots of in betweens. Some of the things I talk about will make more sense if I give you a little information about me. Well, mostly just that I live with my parents, despite the fact that I'm 23. After a (ahem) hellish senior year in college, I felt a great desire to go home. Despite the fact the I went to my hometown's college. But I didn't live with my parents. So, one year later, here I am!

Anyway, this week started out with a small-scale Sunday adventure with my sister. There was a carnival happening about a block from our house and I knew I HAD to get some pictures. We braved the creepy ride operators and managed to get a few photos. Here are my two favorites:



When we got home, I took this picture:



Of course, this week's big event happened on Monday. I would like to tell you that my booth for the Hope for the Change fundraiser was a smashing success and great amounts of fun, but I just despise lying.

First of all, I had ordered photo mats for my photo prints to make them better to display and easier to sell. However, they didn't show up. Bleh. So I went to JoAnn to see what I could find. Lo and behold, mats were on sale! I could get the display stands I needed plus 4 mats with my $25 cash. So I bounced on up to the cash register. The total came to $35. The following exchange with the cashier went something like this:

"Um, I guess I can't get those mats. I misread the sale tags."

"How much were they?"

"Well, I thought these three were 97 cents."

"Well, let me see what I can do." (She pushed a few buttons on the register. New total- Three more dollars than I actually had.)

"Oh, well, I still can't get them all. Thank you, but I'll just have to take a couple off."

"Well, I can try one more thing." (More button pushing. Total was just a few cents more than I had. I counted my change. She pushed another button. Then she took all my money and gave me a few coins in return.)

"Oh, thank you!" I said as enthusiastically as I possibly could in my slightly embarassed and highly sleep-deprived state. No response. I walked away awkwardly.

So, I went home with some photo mats I practically stole, and confirmation that I could pick some tables up from my friend JJ. So I did that, and he volunteered to help with the rest of my day. I accepted.

We went to my house and proceeded to put photos into plastic sleeves and tape price tags to them. Then we loaded up two cars with product and display things and went on over to the high school.

Once there, we tried to figure out where to put our stuff. After a few questions asked, I was ushered to my spot. I didn't think much of it right at first, but I came to realize it was really a pretty crappy spot to be trying to sell jewelry and (especially) photo prints. Not to mention the fact that a lady by me was setting up this cage and loading it with adorable merchandise.


A lady across from me was putting out her handmade jewelry (using lots of swarovski it turns out, something I haven't really used) on these beautiful displays:


But in the end, I think mine looked pretty good, especially considering it was my first time ever doing a booth of any sort.

Lots and lots of people walked by. A majority of them looked at my items. Several of them stopped and looked closely at them. A few touched them. A couple people took my business cards. But only one lady bought anything. She was really really excited about the violin charm necklace she bought and I appreciated her purchase very much. However, just for that one day (not including the cost of product or display items), I lost about $85. Could be worse, I know, but it still wasn't exactly a good feeling.

After dinner and some reflection, I started feeling more and more put out. But the funny thing about me is that the more I get down about something, the more determined I am to try it again and absolutely rock it. Is this always healthy? No, but it has proved useful a time or two. (I have squatty potties in mind as I type this, ha ha.)

Well, Tuesday is my day to go out to a small(er) town 50 miles north of home and teach some violin students. 2 of them called and cancelled, but I decided to make the drive anyway so I would only lose $30 plus gas instead of $60 plus gas. It was a pretty day and my students were great as always, and when I got home I took this picture:

It's probably my favorite of the week, but I have a weakness for purple :)


Wednesday came. Both my students cancelled. $25 lost. I didn't get ready at all and moped around the house. Ok, I actually did take the opportunity to take some jewelry photos


and teach another friend how to do Etsy a little bit. Here you can find RT Vance Photography's Etsy shop in its beginning stages.

And now it's Thursday and I am typing this blog because I go out of town tomorrow. So far it's been quite a good day! I went for a walk in this sunshine in the late morning, caught all made up and dressed up, and taught 4 great violin lessons. Now onto a much more difficult task:

Sleep.

Have a fabulous Saturday!

Sintwister Photography: Feature Friday

*Public service announcement* The days are running short to enter my giveaway! The winner will be announced on Wednesday, using a very high-tech, scientific method which you are sure to love. *Now back to our regularly scheduled programming*

Sintwister Photography
She had a farm in Africa with love and life and a coffee plantation adventure. I had a cozy chair in a wood paneled library. Together, we traversed continents and time periods; fought through the ironies, laid down the dreams and in the end found a sense of calm among the storms of life.

I have admired Katherine's work since I joined the Selection Perfection team in December. I think I feature her work in about every other treasury I make! It's all so beautiful and intriguing. Not only are her images incredible, but each has a story to go with it that sparks my imagination and makes me fall completely in love with each work of art. Next time you're bored or putting off some mundane task, go to her shop and check out her items. Not only will you be entertained and inspired, but you will feel like you used your time well :)

Now, sit back, look at these images, enjoy their stories, and then be inspired by the interview that follows.

Smoky Joe. Act One

Smokey Joe lives underneath the performing arts theater. Every once in a while - he pops out for a quick visit. He's the creative type - rarely seen - busy working on his masterpiece... which I think might be a mouse free housing complex - but then again I'm not quite sure.


Card Game of Legend

There is no question about it...the card game would take place over a steamy summer season in some exotic far-flung location like Havana or Cairo. They'd play religously every afternoon during the daylight hours when time seemed to be sleeping and the sunshine laid lazy. Of course they'd always play at the same lilting cafe with it's sips of whiskey, bitter espresso, local cigars. And the conversation, now that would be something. Volleying back and fourth, carefree and natural, with thought provoking undertones, enthusiastic ephiphanies, delicious contemplation. Life. Literature. Art. Definitions of well-traveled men with striking personalities and battle-scarred hearts. It would be a card game of legend, this game certainly would. Half man half myth. Whole perfection.

Treasure Island

The treasure didn't come in the form of an actual tangible commodity. Instead the treasure was actually a bit more lofty, a bit more lyrical. A renewable resource of sorts, if you will; for a decidedly driven workaholic who hadn't been in love with nature for a long long time.

Floating on Fanciful

The flowers grew up in the gauzy air of love, in so that, it seemed that they were floating not on a bed of clouds, but instead on the bed of a beautiful romance.

Just Minutes Before 2

Having extra time on her hands before her late lunch blind date, she went to Macy's on 34th Street to look at pretty dresses which always seemed to calm her nerves. She loved the wooden esculator - but forgot how long it actually took to move from floor to floor. So as she started her descent, she realized that time was now, not actually in her favor. She would now need to hurry quite fast to make it across town to the Waldorf Hotel. Of course she had her awkward new shoes on, and of course the cab she picked rear-ended another just a block off Broadway, and of course the thunder gurgled just to the point when she stepped out on the curb to giant teardrops raining down from the sky.

The Kitchen Cabinet

Remember that day with Granny when you baked three apple pies and made a zillion jars of jam? And how when all was said and done, you were exhausted but Granny kept right on going?

She could run circles around you in that flowered smock of hers. And all the while she'd smile and tell you stories of how it was when she got married.

(Now, if you're like me, you may feel like you and Katherine are best friends, despite the fact that you've never actually met :) )

Q: Where does the inspiration for your photos and their stories come from?

A: Inspiration for my photos and stories comes from a variety of places. Visually I am inspired by all things imperfect, which generally tend to be time worn, sensitive or unpredictable. I love things that are genuine, natural and vulnerable. I was born with a birth defect making me legally blind in my left eye, which I think gives me some sort of slanted viewpoint on life and makes me feel comfortable with things that are naturally off-center. Travel has also played a huge part in life, as I have had the opportunity to travel internationally since I was a small child. Foreign landscapes, cultures and experiences have shaped my imagination in more ways than I can name and I think ultimately that is what drives the themes in my writing.

Movies, music and books are also great sources of inspiration. I love anything that is lyrical in tone or description, honest writing that makes you view life from a different angle and stories of strong women who were ahead of their time in thought or action. The top 10 things that inspire my writing most are: Africa, Ernest Hemingway (both the man and his writing style), The Great Gatsby, the film The Red Violin, Amelia Earhart, travel, nature, airplanes, love and Katharine Hepburn. All these things constantly float around my thoughts on any given day!

Because my photographs and their corresponding stories evolve together as part of a two step process, I would say my pen inspires my camera and vice versa. I usually photograph first and then write the story second, but every once in awhile it is the other way around.

The story of each photo takes shape usually as I am filling out a new item listing on Etsy. Sometimes I challenge myself to create a story in under three minutes or sometimes I just get lost in my own thoughts and wind up 30 minutes later writing the beginning of a novel (see the photo: Card Game of Legend)! Mostly though the stories are inspired by actual events or people. Like the Flowers on the Floor series was based on an actual woman I know, although I have taken creative liberties with her motivations.

Q: How do you maintain a balance between work, home, and Etsy?

A: It is funny that you should ask about balance because my husband and I were just discussing this over dinner last night!

Truthfully, I would love to say that I have it all figured out and that my days are great examples of perfectly coordinated calculations! But I am not quite there yet! I juggle the balance ball everyday and find it quite a challange to evenly distribute time between home, work and Etsy.

I grew up in New York where there is so much focus on job, career, personal achievement and efficiency. But five and a half years ago my husband and I moved south to Georgia on a whim, and discovered the pace to be much more calm and relaxed.
When we first moved I had really pushed myself to maintain my New York levels of sensibility, (working 12 hours + a day, constantly searching out new and better ways to do things,etc.) but in doing so, I came to realize I was overlooking the day to day aspects of life that make each day unique. I was becoming so focused on the future that I forgot about what was going on in the present day.

I wasn't really noticing or enjoying things like seasons or the sky. I never felt like I had enough time in the day to stop. I didn't hear the birds singing, I didn't eat breakfast, didn't take the time to watch the sun set at night or appreciate the flowers blooming in spring. And in turn, I was becoming completely exhausted and missing out on the unique day to day life in my new environment just for the pursuit of trying to keep busy for the next day, the next week, the next month. It was a stressful endurance test that I personally felt I was failing at miserably.

But the downturn in the economy, while being tricky to navigate has ultimately really helped to refocus and restructure a lot of my time and processes. Aside from my Etsy shop, I am also a graphic designer and ran a small firm up until a few months ago.
With fewer and fewer clients being able to afford design services I made the decision to go freelance at the beginning of this year to save on overhead and expenses and such. Now I have more freedom to schedule my days creatively rather than being tied down to an office work schedule. I break all of my time up into chunks per project based on how much time it will take to complete it. This helps me treat all aspects of my life equally. Home is just as important as Etsy as Etsy is just as important as design work as design work is just as important as home. This gives every project the same amount of weight and value and helps me not only to focus but also complete tasks in a much less distracted manner. Also I do a lot of yoga, with helps with my personal sanity:)

Q: What is your favorite aspect of your work, from the idea stage to the finished product?

A: The most favorite aspect of my work on Etsy is actually every stage of it! I love looking at the world through my lens and setting up shots to please my imagination. And I love day dreaming about story vignettes to go with each photograph. These two activities are like mini-vacations for me. I like the methodical listing process on Etsy and always feel a small sense of accomplishment when I hit the finish button on page 5 of the listing process. Of course , when something sells it is an instant day brightener! It really makes my heart happy to know that I have connected with a buyer in some way that says my work matters to them.

In short, Etsy is phenomenal. To be able to readily have the support of a giant network of artists around the world is amazing. As an artist living in a rural community it has been a god-send as far as promoting my work throughout the region, the country and the world. I would never be able to get this exposure through traditional crafting avenues like art fairs, trade shows, retail stores, etc. I am just absolutely thrilled to be a part of it!

I love being involved with the treasury team Selection Perfection www.etsy.com/teams/6608/selection-perfection as well as helping raise funds for animal rescue with the Fabulous Animal Rescue Program. www.etsy.com/teams/7192/the-fabulous-animal-rescue-project



That's all for today! I hope you enjoyed it. Have a wonderful Friday!

-Heather Rae